Scientists have long been concerned with determining the maximum human lifespan due to the potential benefits for developing treatments and other medical matters. However, this is no longer a mystery thanks to a smart program recently developed by several experts. Biologists and biophysics experts fed an artificial intelligence system with vast amounts of DNA and medical data from hundreds of thousands of volunteers in the UK and the US. The results indicated that humans cannot live beyond the age of 150, according to the journal Nature Communications.
Additionally, scientists have developed a smart application where users can input certain data, allowing them to obtain estimative results regarding their biological aging rate and maximum lifespan with accuracy.
**Biological Age and Resilience**
Researchers found two main factors responsible for human lifespan, covering both lifestyle factors and how the human body responds. The first factor is biological age related to stress, lifestyle, and disease; the second is resilience, reflecting how quickly the first factor returns to its normal state.
**Average Lifespan**
The team of scientists concluded that the longest duration an individual is likely to live is 150 years—double the current average lifespan of about 81 years in several first-world countries. This discovery is based on blood samples taken from two different longitudinal DNA studies, analyzed by a Singapore-based biotechnology firm and a cancer center in Buffalo, New York. Researchers utilized a tool called the Dynamic Organism Status Index (DOSI), which considers age, disease, and lifestyle factors to gauge the resilience of the human body, including its ability to recover from injury and illness.
Dr. Tim Berkov, the lead researcher from the Singaporean company Gero, stated that resilience calculations were made based on activity data flows from a smartphone application, which showed a complete loss of resilience in the human body—the ability to recover—between the ages of 120 and 150.
Simultaneously, Dr. Peter Vidishchev, a co-founder of Gero, indicated that the study reveals how concepts borrowed from the physical sciences can be employed in biology to explore various aspects of aging and frailty in order to develop effective anti-aging interventions.
**"Elixir of Youth"**
The team of scientists believes that senescent cells hold the key that can be described as an "elixir of youth," as they are "alive but not functional." These cells have also been linked to numerous diseases and symptoms, ranging from arthritis to Alzheimer's disease.
**Increasing Average Lifespan**
The increase in average lifespan can largely be attributed to fundamental factors including improved nutrition, access to clean water, better sanitation, and the application of medical science. Experts also believe that genetic interventions, caloric restriction, and the development of medications may in the future extend average lifespan, but not beyond 150 years at maximum, according to the results determined by DOSI analysis.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of developing future treatments through new clinical trials aimed at preventing or treating diseases, thereby prolonging the duration individuals can enjoy good health.
**Breakthrough in Concepts**
Professor Andrei Gudkov from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in the US stated that the study represents a "breakthrough in concepts." He noted that it specifies and distinguishes the roles of fundamental factors in human longevity and the aging process, which is defined as the gradual loss of resilience, diminishing strength, and onset of age-related diseases. The study's breakthrough lies in explaining why the most effective prevention and treatment strategies can help improve average lifespan but not the maximum lifespan unless genuine anti-aging treatments are developed.
